Love thy Father
by DaesGatling
Summary: Sequel to "Honor thy Father" Now together at last, the Charming, the 'Stiltskin, and the March families (Emma, Jefferson and their children both biological and adopted) try to navigate the complications of each other's relationships while facing the growing threat of Pan. Set five months after Honor thy Father's ending and onward.
1. Chapter 1

Five months of living here, waking up in the enchanted forest was still weird for Emma Gold-March.

Weird because for 21 years…not counting the two that she'd been away, she'd awakened every morning in her room and she could look out the window and see across the street. She knew the houses, she knew the streets. Five years after that, she knew the view by heart when she looked out the window of her and her husband's bedroom and found the rolling hills and the town in the distance.

Now when she got up and looked out the window, she didn't see any of tha.t She saw rolling green hills with mountains in the distance. No sign of any town because her adopted father, Rumpelstiltskin, moved her to live an hour away from the town. Something she was eternally grateful for. It was quiet here. She loved it. It was just…different.

Even going to her father's house and looking out the window of her old room, she didn't get the view of the old street, she got forest. Her father didn't want to stay in town any more than she did; he moved his house onto the property as well. Close enough to visit every day but far enough so that they could both enjoy their quiet.

Emma would be happier if he was living with her, but she didn't think he'd ever allow himself that. Espeically not with Baelfire living with him. They were trying to work through their problems. All of them were. But her father still very much liked his privacy. He had centuries to catch up with on his son.

And he was still mourning. He was still deeply grieving for Belle and he didn't want Emma to know. She knew he did but if it wasn't for Baelfire telling her things like he cried himself to sleep at night sometimes, she wouldn't know how badly.

Emma couldn't confront him about it…or comfort him because he wouldn't want her to know. So she managed to do it in little ways.

Though she'd be surprised if he _didn't _know she knew. Bae and Emma were working on being close again. They told each other everything when it came to their father.

And Emma still came to her father to tell him everything. Distance and changes of scenery didn't deter them from being close. In fact it made them closer.

And one particular morning, five months after they settled down, Emma needed to talk to him.

It was the weekend. Which meant that everything was turned off that could wake them up. Even the coffee machine. The smell always woke Emma up too early.

But she didn't sleep well. And she was up early that morning before Jefferson even stirred. It'd been one of their weekend date nights. Which for them, meant that David her oldest went to go spend the night with his father, Grace went to go spend the night with her adopted parents and her mother and Charming watched the baby.

Emma had come to value the alone time she had with Jefferson. Being parents of three kids never left one with much one on one time."

"Up early?"

Emma looked over at her husband. He'd kicked the covers off during the night, so she took a second to admire the view. He was mayor right now….but he was an active one. He didn't sit there in the office all day losing that muscle that he'd worked so hard to keep, he got out there with the town and helped their crops constantly. He helped with building. He did anything active.

He hated being indoors for too long. It reminded him of Wonderland and how he was shut in those rooms in the palace for far too long.

"Yeah," Emma told him and walked over to grab some exercise clothes. She did her best to make sure they stayed in good shape because once they were gone, she didn't have anything to replace them with, "Just…gonna go for a jog."

He gave her that mischievous boyish smirk, "Come over here, I'll show a work out."

Emma laughed and threw a pillow at him. He caught it and put it under his head, "You alright?" 

"Yeah….," Emma said but she wouldn't look at him, "Just…matters to discuss with my dad." 

"Am I in trouble?" he asked almost jokingly and then grew serious, "No seriously what did I do?" 

"It's not you."

"What did the kids do?"

"It's not them."

"Emma," he took her hand.

Emma lowered her eyes, "Yesterday, my mom took me to the side when we were giving her Alice to spend the night with."

"Yeah, I remember that," his eyes searched hers. She saw concern in them but she also saw that look that he got when he either knew something or already guessed.

"And I should be happy…and I am but….it's complicated," she played with the blanket, "They're going to have a baby, Jefferson. They're going to raise a baby in a way that they never got to raise me."

Saying those words made it sound like she regretted her upbringing….and for the most part she didn't. There were a lot of things that she wished had been different, but she didn't regret that Rumpelstiltskin was her father.

But she did regret that her birth parents who she knew did love her never got the chance to raise her. And now they were going to have a baby. She was going to have another sibling that they would get to raise, and they would get to love like they'd wanted to raise her.

And Emma knew her birthparents loved her. And she loved them but…not in the way that any of them wished they could. Too much had happened in all of their lives and Emma was still getting to know them.

It was just….so complicated. She loved her father and she loved her birthparents and she didn't want to turn it into some sort of competition at which upbringing she wanted because that wasn't the case at all…

She wasn't sure what she felt. Overflowing happiness for them that they would finally have their baby that they always wanted but fear in her part at getting replaced….because what they had would never be what they hoped for. And while Emma was happy with what they had…things changed with a baby. It would hurt to see what she could've had but never got with them.

And Emma just really wanted her dad.

"Oh Emma," Jefferson whispered.

Emma leaned down and her husband wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. She buried her face in his shoulder and tried to fight the tears as those fears that she thought about all night overwhelmed her.

And before she knew it, she was pulling off what little clothes she had put on. Her husband nodded and pressed his lips against hers and then moved down to her throat.

Because there was one thing that they were both good at, it was knowing exactly what the other needed for comfort.


	2. Chapter 2

Sometimes getting out of bed was hard for Rumpelstiltskin. Especially when he was alone in the house like he was this on the weekend.

No one was here. Baelfire took David hunting; he was going to teach him how to survive out in forest. He was going to teach him how to use everything that a hunt could get them. It was something he would need to learn in this world and Rumpelstiltskin knew that. He would just….be with them. Of course they'd offered but he refused. His leg was twisted, he'd slow them down, and his son wanted to spend some alone time with his grandson. He wouldn't get in the way of that.

But it was so lonely and so quiet.

And he had nightmares again. About Belle, about Emma, and Bae, and Jefferson and the kids. He still dreamed that Cora and Regina slaughtered all of them. He stood there amongst the bodies…or he cowered more like, telling himself over and over again that it was his fault.

When he awoke, he couldn't go back to sleep. He had to tell himself over and over that it was a nightmare. Emma was safe; settled down finally after five months with her husband and three children. Jefferson was safe; he was finally coming into his own as the mayor of Storybrooke. David was safe; he was taking physical sports to train himself to be a knight. Grace was safe; she was surrounded by people who loved her and she was very slowly working through her own traumas at being forced into a mentally alert but physically vegetative state for five years. Bae was safe; he was bonding with his son. He walked him home from school every day just so that he could see him and get to know him.

But Belle wasn't safe. She was dead, they killed her. And that loss…her being gone still felt so fresh.

So much wasted time.

Five months they were here and the nightmares wouldn't go away. They never went away. He would have them for the rest of his life. He had them for 300 years; a few more decades wouldn't let him sleep peacefully.

So he just…lay there.

David and Bae weren't expected back till the afternoon. So Rumpelstiltskin didn't worry about clearing out the freezer for the meat they'd bring back to eat on for right now, he could lay around.

But someone was knocking on the door, and so he pulled himself out of bed without dressing and limped down to see who it was.

He blushed slightly when he saw it was his daughter on the porch. He looked down at himself in his tight undershirt and boxer shorts. He'd always get embarrassed if Emma saw him in such a state of undress. Even as a child he made sure to be dressed when she was with him. It was civilized.

If he had his magic he could change-

No, he wasn't going to think like that. HE wasn't going to be bitter because they took his magic. They took it and he could live in peace with his family. They took it so he could never have that choice and make the wrong one ever again. They took it so that he would never take matters into his own hands and hurt his family.

He chided himself like he always did when he thought this way. Even for little things like wishing he could be dressed.

He should've expected Emma, who else would it be?

Except she was supposed to be having a romantic weekend with her husband, she shouldn't be here.

So it must be important.

He limped down to the rest of the stairs and opened the door, "Emma?"

She raised her eyebrow and looked him over, "You really lying around, huh?"

He blushed, "I know I have a robe somewhere. Are you staying?"

Emma looked as uncomfortable as he felt and nodded, "Yeah, for a little bit."

His daughter would come over at any time he asked her to, but her just being here on her own accord filled him with excitement. "Then will you be a dear and get some tea ready while I get dressed?"

Emma nodded and gave him a teasing smile, ""I thought the host served tea."

"Don't make me laugh little one, I was changing your diapers when you were a child, the least you can do is make your old man some tea."

Emma scoffed, "Papa, you know that reasoning won't work forever."

"It'll work long enough," he teased slightly and went to limp back up the stairs.

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Baelfire didn't need to be told that he needed to step up and take responsibility when he learned that he had a son. He did it automatically; he acknowledged that Jefferson was by all purposes, David's father. He was there for him for years and loved him enough to want to adopt him. He'd never have that sort of relationship with his son and he accepted that. It hurt, but he did. In some ways, he understood Snow and Charming in that capacity. But like them, that wouldn't stop him from doing his best.

It wouldn't stop him from taking part in what was left of his son's childhood and his life after that.

"Okay back in the old days we'd use a bow and arrow or a crossbow, but that's not very humane, so we're going to use guns."

He showed him the gun and he went over how it worked.

"You know, we did have guns when I was growing up," David told him with an amused look.

Baelfire felt a jolt of fear at the blasé way that David said that. He wouldn't care if they had guns under normal circumstances but kids were involved and he'd heard stories about it, "What?!" 

"No, its okay, they told me early on. They taught me about it and taught me that it wasn't a toy." 

Baelfire still felt a bit uncomfortable, though he realized that perhaps it was needed. Regina…he'd heard a lot of things from the others that made his hair stand up. He heard his father screaming at night for Belle as well as others. He heard his father screaming curses and threats at Regina in his sleep.

"Okay," Baelfire allowed and they both scrunched down underneath some trees.

"Mom's making me go to therapy," David said after a few moments.

Baelfire looked at his son, "And how do you feel about that?"

David looked at him, "That's what Jiminy asks."

"Does it help?" 

David shook his head, "Talking about it just makes it hurt and reminds me." 

"I don't want to remember," David told him and looked at him, "I want to move on."

"Well, you'll always remember," Baelfire told him and he lowered his eyes and he ruffled his son's hair without looking at him. He was too busy reliving his own trauma, "Trust me kid, I know."

"Do you think I should stay in therapy?"

"I think…," Bae thought carefully, "That five months ago, you went through a lot of trauma and I think that for however many years before that, you had to worry about what might happen to your family-."

"It's not like that!" David protested, "I was never really scared until time started moving again, I don't think….I didn't have to be. I knew nothing would change, I knew my mom would break the curse and I knew my grandpa and dad- Jefferson would keep her safe. I knew they'd keep us safe. IT wasn't until things started moving again that it got bad. That it got scary because now my mom had a chance to die. I could be hurt. My mom could've lost the baby. She almost did lose the baby…the only reason she managed to keep it is because of her magic, I think. My grandpa says that miscarriages don't just stop like that."

"He told you that?" Baelfire demanded.

"No, I heard it," David lowered his head, "That's how I found out most things."

Bae gave a small smile and kissed the crown of the boy's hair, "You're smart."

"I know."

"I'll talk to your parents, we'll figure out something if the therapy isn't working."

"Okay," David rested his hand on his chin, "Can I ask you something?" 

"Of course."

"If my papa lets me, can I call you 'dad'?" 

Bae stopped he felt his heart start to swell and he looked over at his son, "Really?"

David nodded, "I'd call my other dad 'papa' and you 'dad'. Cause I know that you didn't know and when you did know, you couldn't get to me."

"I wanted to," he told him, just like he told him over and over since they arrived, "But August switched out the letters with forged papers. I wanted your mother to let me into your life, I really did."

"I know," David nodded, "And now that I'm getting to know you…..I think I want to start calling you 'dad' too." 

Baelfire broke into a smile, "Really?"

"But only if my papa is okay with it," David told him quickly, "He might not be. I was his son for five years and even longer….not officially. He might not like it. He's protective and sometimes he doesn't like sharing so….I don't want to hurt his feelings."

Baelfire nodded, but his heart was hammering in his chest. Excitement surged through him, "Okay."

David nodded, "Can I tell you something else?"

"Yeah." 

"I don't want to kill anything. I asked you to go hunting with me because I wanted to talk to you without anyone else interfering." 

He nodded, "Okay."

"I just miss my bed." 

Bae laughed, "Yeah, I miss mine too."

He stood with his son and stretched, his body was stiff from sleeping on the ground last night. He was really becoming spoiled by the luxuries having an actual bed could give him. He wasn't 250 anymore; he wasn't as young as he used to be.

David was going to be calling him 'dad'

Possibly. If Jefferson and by extension Emma was okay with it.

But he was beaming as they walked home anyway.

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"A baby," Rumpelstiltskin asked.

Emma tried to figure out her father's tone as they sat on the porch swing out on the porch. Was it disbelief? Happiness? Anger? That was the thing with her father sometimes, she knew him better than anyone and he was still a mystery to her sometimes, "That's what they told me."

"Huh," Rumpelstiltskin looked out at the forest his house faced, "What did you say?"

"I don't remember," Emma told him and blushed, "When my mom took me aside to tell me, she was looking at me with those big doe pleading eyes, just begging me to be okay with it." 

Her father nodded and took a sip of his tea, "She does have those."

Emma pulled her feet up on the chair, her knees were pressed to her chest, "I know that it won't change how they love me. And I know they still will…."

"But it's watching them grow up with the love you could have had from them."

Emma shifted, "I don't regret how you raised me. And I know that you loved me when you raised me." 

"But it's watching them having a baby and loving it the way they had hoped to love you."

Emma nodded and lowered her head, "I want them to be happy….and don't take this the wrong way papa, but it should've been me. They spent nine months bonding with me and I was taken away…..And I didn't meet either of them until I was 28. Mary Margaret turned into my mother and you were my father. And I'm still getting to know them so….it still hurts."

She saw the pain in his eyes. She knew that he loved her dearly and she knew that he did all that he did to reunite with his son. And Emma wasn't sure what she'd do if she was separated from her own son. But at the end of the day, while he did love her he did play a part that separated her from her birthparents that did love her as well. He redeemed himself in Emma's eyes years ago. He raised her, loved her, and kept her safe and treated her like she was his own

But he still hated himself for what he cost her. IF it was someone else, if he never came to love her…it'd be different. But the fact of it was that he'd signed up for his own guilt the moment he made the deal with Snow to get her.

"Have you talked to them?" he asked.

"I don't want them to feel guilty," Emma told them, "Like they think I'm going to feel betrayed or something. Like they should put their life on hold until I say otherwise."

"They'll feel guilty no matter what," he told her, "Why do you think your mother took you aside?"

Emma played with her wedding ring, "This will change everything." 

"This will change nothing that matters," he promised her, "Your parents love you, that's why they want your acceptance about this. And your husband loves you, your kids love you, and I love you and nothing else matters."

"It doesn't feel that way sometimes," Emma confessed, "It feels more complicated than that." 

"I know," he wrapped his arms around her.

Emma returned the embrace and buried her face in his shoulder, "I love you, daddy."

"I love you too sweetie."

"I just get so scared sometimes."

"I know," he kissed her temple affectionately, "Sometimes having to share is a terrifying thing."

Emma gave a bit of a laugh, "Yeah, I guess I know how you and Jefferson feel when it came to sharing me and David."

"Worked out though."

Emma nodded. Yeah, for now. She was terrified of what would happen when things went wrong and they were thrown on the opposite side of whatever fence would pop up.

Frankly she was surprised that they'd gone thus far without problems.


	3. Chapter 3

Sometimes Jefferson worried about his wife. Nothing bad, nothing that would lead to the end of the marriage, just sometimes he wondered if she was having trouble adjusting.

Since Emma was seven years old, she knew the truth about who she was and what her duty in life was. She spent the next 21 or so years more or less resisting, running from, and then accepting that lot in life. There were countless years and moments of happiness but there was also an underlying fear that fueled Emma….both good and bad.

But now Regina was left in Storybrooke, the ogres were pushed back, Hook, Cora, all of them were dead….there wasn't anything to be scared of. There wasn't anything to fight anymore and he wasn't sure Emma knew what to do with herself now.

She always wanted to settle down and be a mom and a wife since the curse broke. But now that the curse did break and they were all home with an unimaginable cost.

Emma was haunted by Belle's death. She was haunted by what she'd done in revenge right afterwards. She never said it really, not to him but he knew. She never said anything because she had to know what he would say. It wasn't her fault. She did what she had to do in an unwinnable situation.

But Emma wouldn't believe that. She'd pretend she would. Maybe she'd even be appeased but at the end of the day, she'd lie next to him…and wonder 'what if'.

And he worried about her. He'd heard once, his father say that peace wasn't for the warriors who fought for it because they never knew peace completely after what they'd seen. He wondered if maybe some of that was right. Emma could have the best therapy in the world but how much of it could undo those years she lived in fear?

So he watched her carefully. He didn't think she was a danger or in any sort of danger. However, he loved her with everything he had, and so he watched her. He had her back, that made her feel safe and he wanted her to feel safe after what she went through five months beforehand.

He was feeding Alice when Emma came in that afternoon, "Hey."

"Hey," Emma took out her ear buds, he saw from the way she was breathing that it looked like she was jogging. She looked at the baby and then at him, "I missed my parents?"

"Oh no, Red ran her by."

Emma gave her daughter a beaming smile and Jefferson let her take her, "Hey Alice….hi."

Alice smiled at her mother. A bright smile that Jefferson knew was going to have a mixture of both of them.

Jefferson went behind Emma and hugged her from behind, "You okay?"

Emma hesitated for a moment and then nodded, "Yeah."

"You sure?"

She nodded, "I talked to my dad. He didn't tell me any different than what you did but still…it helped."

"I'm grateful for that," he told her honestly. He wasn't jealous. There were some things he could comfort her on; there were others that her father could comfort her on. They all had their place in Emma's life. IT was something they had fought about for a while but finally they were figuring it out.

She smiled at their daughter, "Me too."

"Love you, sunshine," he told her, and kissed right behind her ear.

'

"Love you too, love of my life," she told him genuinely.

He smiled, he was always grateful to hear that from her and he hugged her close, "You know….we could put her upstairs….get her sleepy for a nap…we still have time to-."

The door burst open, interrupting that thought. Henry raced in. His hair wasn't combed, and he was wearing yesterday's clothes, "Mom! Mom! Guess what we saw!"

"What," She asked and accepted a rushed hug from him, and watched as he moved to Jefferson for a hug.

"A baby bobcat."

Emma looked over at Bae, "You didn't kill it, did you?"

"No, no," he said quickly, "We just saw it."

"Close to the village?"

"No, a few hours of walking away."

Emma nodded and put her hand on her son's hair, "Good."

Emma watched both men quietly size the other up, like they always did when they were in the same room. Neal accepted Jefferson, Emma liked to think he trusted him too. Jefferson however, he….had his good days and bad days when it came to Neal.

"Hey Neal," Emma greeted.

"Hey," he gave her a smile; one that she'd thought could outshine all the stars back when she was younger.

"You hungry?"

"Starved."

"Didn't catch anything, huh?" 

Neal smiled at his boy, "Our son is not a killer." 

"Glad to hear that," Emma ran a hand through her son's hair.

David looked at both Emma and Jefferson, "But you two hunt." 

"And when or if you're ready," Emma told him, "You will to."

"Come on, I'll make you some lunch," she gave him a warm smile and let him hold Alice, "Give you something to take home to dad."

David turned and took Jefferson's hand. Jefferson smiled and tightened his grip on his son's, "You have fun?"

David nodded, "Can I talk to you?" 

"Sure buddy."

He shifted, "Alone?" 

"Yeah," Jefferson nodded, "We'll go to my office."

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Emma watched Jefferson pace back and forth frantically, "This is ridiculous, Emma. This is what I was worried about when he came into our son's life."

Emma put her feet into a cross-legged position on the bed. She knew that Jefferson had problems sharing. He spent 28 years watching his daughter be another couple's kid. Five of those years, Grace was in a vegetative state who remembered who she was because Regina shoved her over the line. How they took care of Grace and managed to make it work for those five years was the only reason that Jefferson didn't fight harder for more permanent custody. He could be possessive; he could be selfish and jealous. He already had to share one child; he didn't fancy the idea of sharing another.

But Emma also had Neal to think about. And what David wanted, "You're upset because he wants to call him 'daddy'."

"Don't demean the situation."

"I'm not demeaning the situation," Emma told him.

"I don't want him having any more access to David than he already does," Jefferson told him and wrapped his arms around himself to shield himself. He was terrified of losing David. Emma knew that. But she didn't want Jefferson dragging his feet for every bit of advancement that David and Neal made together. Especially when Jefferson encouraged her to spend time with her birthfather.

"It's just a paternal term, Jefferson. He's David's father too." 

"You don't call Charming your dad."

Emma tensed, "That's complicated."

"How?"

"Because the father that raised me is a lot like you in the sharing department, I don't call him 'dad' directly because I had a dad that raised me for 28 years. And because my father believes himself my dad so….my method of calling him 'Charming' is like me calling him 'dad' that way everyone is happy. Jefferson…." She moved closer to him, "It doesn't mean you're losing David if he calls someone else 'daddy' too."

"He's not David's father," Jefferson whispered brokenly and sat next to her.

"But he is, he fathered him."

"He left." 

"He regrets it," Emma reminded him, "And he came back when he was able to enter the town with us. And he's done his best ever since. HE's walked the line between what you want and what he truly wants for five months….honey; he's been one of my main supports."

Jefferson raised his arms and just let them drop, "I'm scared that he'll hurt him."

Emma rubbed her hands together, "He hasn't yet."

"'Hasn't yet' doesn't mean 'never will'"

"Jefferson-," Emma said tiredly. 

"He left you Emma. He hurt you. A-and for years we thought he was the one that called the police and sent you to jail. Why should we let that man be a papa?"

"Because Henry wants it," Emma told him and looked at him sadly. She didn't want to remind him of this, but she had to, "And you hurt me too once, remember? When you forced me over that town line. And I was terrified that I was going to die?"

Jefferson let out some air. She saw the pain in his face, it was one of the things that he'd never forgive himself for, "That was different."

"How was it different?" 

"Regina was using me to try and get to you. She was trying to put me in an impossible situation and so I did what hurt so bad and broke your trust in everyone you loved to get you away so she couldn't hurt you anymore. I was trying to keep you safe."

"So was he in an odd sort of way, I think," Emma took his hand "I forgave both of you."

"He's my son, I raised him," Jefferson told himself more than her.

"I'm not sure Neal's trying to take that away from you, honey. I think David wants to include him in his life"

"But what if he does forget about me?" Jefferson whispered and toyed with his wedding ring, "What if he does want Neal as more of a father than me."

"He could never forget about you," Emma moved closer and rubbed his arm, "You're his father. Okay? That doesn't change. Him letting in someone else will not change what you've meant to him for eleven years and however many years after this."

"I just worry that-."

"I know," Emma rested her head on his shoulder, "I know."

"I've lost Grace too many times to worry about losing David too." 

"You won't." 

"You can't know that," he argued.

"I know David," Emma brushed some of his hair back, "And you know him too and once you stop thinking like this you'll realize that he'd never do what you think he'll do to you."

He put his hand in his hair and drew in a breath, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Emma took his hand.

Jefferson clutched it tightly, "Adjustments." 

"Yeah, it seems like it's not as easy as what we all liked to pretend it was for 28 years." 

Jefferson gave a wry smile, "I thought I'd have complete custody of both my oldest kids."

"And I never realized it'd hurt so much to know that my little brother or sister is going to have that fairy tale life away from most terrors that I had to grow up with."

Jefferson reached over and kissed her, "He or she will never experience the victories though. And the rewards those came with."

"This is true," she whispered, not moving away from him, "They'll never have you…never have our son or our daughters…."

"Or two fathers and a mother who all love you very much."

"How long do we have?" Emma asked.

"Oh, the baby's asleep and Neal took David to town to go get Grace so….a little while. Should be back by dinner." 

"Good," Emma wrapped her arms around him. Perhaps this romantic weekend could be salvageable.


	4. Chapter 4

When David was growing up in his grandpa's house, he learned early on that adoption and biological had no line of separation. His grandfather loved Emma like he'd fathered her himself. And he loved David like he was actually his grandson. Which had to be hard in David's opinion because his mom had run off and gotten pregnant with the first guy she got into a relationship with and then landed in jail. She only returned to Rumpelstiltskin because she had nowhere else to go. David knew that must've been hard…he was two months old though, he didn't remember that.

So, when it came to Grace being his adopted sister, he didn't so much see the 'adopted' part as he saw the 'sister' part. Someone his own age that he got to wrestle around with and play since Alice was so so little.

And they told each other everything. Grace knew before anyone that he wanted to call Neal 'dad'.

"You told papa?" Grace asked with big eyes, "Was Emma there?"

"In another room,"

"So you did it by yourself." 

"Yes, so there were no distractions and they couldn't argue, that's what adults like to do," David muttered. He knew his mother would be thrilled, his papa….not so much. That would result in an argument between the two of them and he didn't want them fighting.

Grace nodded, "What'd he say?"

"He stared at me for a few moments….asked if that was what I really wanted."

"He didn't like it, did he?" 

David shook his head, "I didn't want to hurt him."

"You want another person in your life that's rivaling his place, that's always going to hurt him." 

David cringed. He knew what it felt like to be Grace; he knew it for five months. To be torn between two sets of parents that she loved and who were trying to make it work for her was a very stressful situation.

"Do you think I should take it back?" David asked.

"I think it'd be hard to now that it's out there," Grace muttered. When she'd went catatonic for five years, David stayed by her side and they talked through the code his family came up with. And they talked a lot. And Grace's mind aged. Not like…to a fifteen year old. They didn't have a way to explain how Grace's head worked. Just that her mind aged, so she was pretty smart for an eleven year old in David's eyes.

"I don't want to hurt my other dad."

"Maybe it'll just take some adjustment." Grace suggested hopefully, maybe papa will come to accept it." 

"Or tolerate it but inside he cringes."

"Like with my parents," Grace whispered.

"Your parents earned dad's respect before…everything," he stuttered and realized he was talking to her about her own vegetative state that she still had nightmares on and he felt guilty that he hinted at it, "My dad only has five months under his belt" 

"And he helped bring your mom back safely when Hook attacked her and poisoned her and he made sure you were safe away from Cora and Regina."

David shuddered, he'd never forget that day. He never forgot how scared he'd been that they were all going to die and he couldn't do anything to save them.

He still had a lot of nightmares. They all did.

"Dad might not care, that might make him even more jealous," David muttered.

A light appeared at the bottom of the door. They both tensed, they were on the other side of the house from the baby, so one of the parents was coming to see one of them.

There was a knock on the door. Grace scrambled to hide under the bed. They were both supposed to be asleep. However, that usually didn't stop them. They snuck into the other's room all the time to talk about things that were bothering them.

David pulled his covers back in record time and slipped under them, "Come in!" 

The door opened, flooding the room with light. David groaned as it still hurt his eyes, "Papa!"

"Sorry," Jefferson shut the door behind him, "I thought we might talk."

"David felt the guilt already weighing down on him, "I'm sorry….I didn't mean to hurt you."

Jefferson sat on the edge of the bed. David really hoped Grace had time to move or she'd be pinned underneath, "Nah, it's okay."

"Are you mad?" 

"No," he told him and David believed it, "Maybe a bit jealous."

"It wouldn't change what we are. It wouldn't," David told him stubbornly, "You're still my papa. You always will be."

"But you want him to be your papa too," his papa said calmly.

"Is that so bad?" 

His papa lowered his eyes, ashamed, "I don't want you to get hurt."

"Do you think Bae would hurt me?"

"I don't know, I haven't exactly gotten close to him to find out."

"Maybe you could! Maybe you two should get to know each other more. That might make you trust him."

"Or make me even more jealous," His papa teased with a small smile, "Did I….ever tell you about my real father?"

He had heard, but David shook his head no.

"I was twelve when he realized he had way more children then he could feed. It was a hard life there. Way too many children to a bed that shouldn't hold that many. And it was a bad crop that year beforehand and he just barely kept us alive. He worked himself near to death. He couldn't possibly do it again. And so….he took me, knowing I had magic, and sold me to Rumpelstiltskin for eternally fertile lands."

David felt a tear slip down his face at his father's pain.

"I was twelve," he told him, "Just a boy very close to your age who didn't understand what was going on. And I understand…that my father, deep down, was doing his best for everyone. They got fed and I was given to someone who understood the magic and taught me to control it but still….that betrayal…being an object for a payment...it still cuts deep. I don't want you going through any sort of hurt the way I did."

David looked away, "I'm sorry."

"No, no, no, no," Jefferson kissed his son's forehead, "I love you. I want you to be happy. If calling him 'dad' and letting him into your life more makes you happy…..then I'll do it. I'll support you."

"But you won't like it." 

Jefferson gave him a smile, "Let me work on that flaw of jealousy and selfishness that I know I have."

David sat up and hugged him tightly, "I love you."

The embrace Jefferson pulled him in was almost suffocating, "I love you too."

He ruffled David's hair and stood up, "Get some sleep, you got school tomorrow." 

"Yes papa,"

Jefferson turned and went back to the door, "You too, Grace."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

When Charming and Snow were elected leaders for the town, Charming knew he was in over his head. He knew he was in over his head almost 30 years ago when he took the throne from George and Regina and he had to deal with two countries trying to recover from war who now looked to a lost princess and a shepherd boy as leaders.

And then his wife was pregnant. And then the curse came and he was lost for 28 years while his daughter grew up with a different father who she loved and his wife never fully got to be with Emma. It was a different personality and a different…whatever. He still wasn't even sure what they were…the personalities.

And in a lot of ways, it felt like they came full circle. He was here, felt in over his head, he was dealing with a realm going through changes and his wife was pregnant.

When she told him he was so happy. They had a second chance to make this right; they had a rare chance for a new beginning. They could start over and be a family….

And in that millisecond, he remembered he had a daughter. His 29 year old green eyed, blonde haired baby that didn't know him. Sure they bonded and they told each other stories when they were thrown in to the hat….but to know him like he wanted Emma to know him, that sort of thing took time. It was gradual, and it crept up on you.

That sort of thing shouldn't happen between a parent and a child though. It should be automatic.

And that was the problem. They could have a deep loving healthy relationship; they were well on their way to it now. But it wouldn't be what he'd spent nine months waiting for. It wouldn't be…..it would never be what he wanted it to be. And both knew it and both accepted it and tried to make their relationship as close to it as possible.

And so his heart broke when his wife told him that when Emma knew she was about to be a big sister, she stuttered how that was great and found an excuse to leave quickly.

And he felt guilt. Because they had barely had time to know their first daughter and it felt like moving on from her in a way. And things were going to be more awkward now. Emma was going to be more uncomfortable…

But could they put their lives on hold for a relationship to iron its kinks out that might never happen? Was that fair?

It wasn't.

So, the weekend passed slowly for Charming, Monday came. They both got a couple of texts from Emma on Sunday. She told them she loved them and she wanted to talk. So they made the right excuses to the rest of the council who was trying to figure out how to hold this town together and they waited at home.

Emma knocked on the door at nine thirty. When Snow answered it, Emma had the baby in her arms. She was dressed in a tank top from their world and the brown leather pants that she swore were somehow more comfortable than jeans.

"Hi," Emma greeted quietly and lifted her daughter so they could see her, "She begged to be taken back to grandma and grandpa all weekend." 

Charming smiled; it wasn't going to be a tense meeting then. If it was, Emma would be blunt and matter of fact as soon as they opened the door.

"May I?" Snow asked.

Emma looked concerned, "You're okay? With the baby and stuff?" 

"I'm pregnant and a bit tired honey, not crippled and delusional," Snow told her with a smile, "You should know this better than anyone."

"My husband might disagree on that," Emma said, but she surrendered the baby to her beaming mother and then grew serious, "I won't…keep you long. I know you have your work to do and Jefferson and I are getting a start to on the north fields today."

Charming nodded, a peaceful life, just like he always wanted for her. Well, he wanted her in the castle as his princess but Emma made it very clear that she didn't want a castle, she grew up around the forests and small towns, she was happier out of one.

"I'm sorry," Emma started, "For how I acted when you told me the news." 

"Emma, none of us are mad," Snow told her, "You didn't do anything wrong."

"No, it's a happy time," Emma told them, "It should be a happy time and I'm happy for you both, truly. You two deserve this since you lost…..since you lost me. I just…..have complicated feelings to deal with is all. But it doesn't mean I don't want you to have the baby. And it doesn't mean that I'm jealous or think you should stop from having your family. I just wish that sometimes…"

Emma's voice broke and she looked at both of them pleadingly.

"Oh Emma," Snow breathed. They both went to embrace her. Charming held her closely, he cradled her head, like was habit.

They held each other for a good several moments. Emma pulled away and wiped some tears from her eyes, "I Just thought you should know."

"Thank you for coming, would you like breakfast?" Snow asked.

"No, no," Emma took her daughter back and gave her a kiss, "It looks like it's going to be a hot day…..Jefferson and I want to get an early start."

"Of course," Charming nodded.

Emma looked between both of them, "I love both of you."

And while Charming loved his relationship with Emma but wished it was different….he wouldn't trade hearing those words for anything.

**A/N: Just a couple of things I want to clear up. This sequel takes place between the second to last chapter and the epilogue of Honor thy Father. The Neverland Stuff will take place after the epilogue. **

** Please be patient as I build relationships, I don't want to dive headlong into the action with little to no development of the characters. There are a lot of complicated relationships to get into and I want to give them all justice. Besides…relationships are a better strength than just action scenes, action scenes, action scenes. **

** And now onto a matter that I really thought I took care of last story. To the anon that is complaining that Emma should call Charming something other than Charming and how horrible I am to his character…stop. Please. Frankly I'm confused as to why you're still reading my stuff if you think I mistreat Charming and put Rumpelstiltskin on a pedestal. Because really I don't. I've written Rumpel as everything from a good guy, to an antihero, to a villain. **

**This is a complicated relationship story with complicated feelings. Emma is bonding with her birthfather, that's not something that happens overnight. I wouldn't have written the entire arc of them going to FTL together to face Cora and Hook if I hated him. I wouldn't write him continuing to bond with her afterwards. Nor is Rumpelstiltskin the scum of the earth. He's a man who loves his kids and has done horrible things.. Making him into a 2D character like said reviewer is trying to thrust on me destroys the love he feels for Emma and his family. He screwed over her family and her happy ending for his son. Yeah, I know. That's been stated in story and something he feels incredible guilt over. It's not simple "Oh, my pure virtuous birthfather is back, I'm going to abandon the man that raised and loved me for 28 years for him." That just destroys every word I've written developing this relationship beforehand. **

** Also to the same person…no. I'm not killing off Rumpelstiltskin. Why would I kill off what I feel is the most important relationship (and what drew a lot of people in) in the story? **

** So I'm sorry to have to address this again, but if I just ignore it, I'll get anon review upon anon review saying how horrible I am for not writing the characters the way they expect me to write it. So here's an idea, write your own story if you don't like how I write mine. **


	5. Chapter 5

Every school morning was always chaos for the March family; A bunch of tired adults with a bunch of tired children all in a rush.

Add Baelfire and their father into the batch, and it was guaranteed to be chaos. Emma was already running late; Which was….pretty much the only status the March family knew most of the time.

Emma raced down the stairs, pulling on her jacket. She stumbled on the last step but righted herself. That thing was going to kill her one day, she swore it was going to….

"We're going to be late," David told her as soon as she came down.

"We're not going to be late," Emma lied and grabbed a waffle, "Papa, you're going to have to teach me how to enchant the hot water so it doesn't go cold on me."

"I'll get around to that," he told her.

"You sound like Jefferson," Emma looked for the syrup

Jefferson gave her a scowl and threw a crumbled napkin at her.

"Children!" Rumpelstiltskin said, "You're setting a bad example."

Emma grabbed the napkin that Jefferson threw and tossed it at her father with a mischievous smirk.

"Emma Marie," he warned.

Baelfire smirked as Emma was in trouble, "Go on and spank her!"

Jefferson gasped, "I'm the only one allowed to spank my wife!" 

"Oh_ gods," _Rumpelstiltskin made a sour face, "I don't want to know that!"

They all looked at David and Grace, who looked like they had some idea of what was being said but not completely get it.

"It's an adult game," Baelfire told them, "One you two will play when you're much much older."

"VERY much older," Emma gave them both a warning look.

Jefferson gave his fatherly look to both of his children. He'd mastered it so well since he became a papa to two ten year olds, "Hey, we're running late. Okay, time to go."

"They won't get us in trouble," Grace scraped the rest of her eggs, "Not when our mom is the savior."

Emma gave a beaming smile. Grace had started calling her 'mom' about a month ago. It was a work in progress still, they were slowly working through their issues but Emma did not take Grace calling her 'mom' lightly. It was a big step for both of them and it warmed her heart every time. Now she knew what Jefferson felt like when David called him 'papa'.

Emma got up and grabbed her son's head and kissed the top of it, "Have a good day, love you."

"Love you."

Next was Grace and she grabbed her head and kissed the crown of her head, "Love you."

"You too," Grace said. They were still really worked up to Grace loving her like a mother. Calling her 'mother' and loving her like one were two VERY different things.

Baelfire playfully bent his head back and puckered.

Emma took a napkin and draped it across his face, "You behave."

Neal scowled, "I don't know what that word means."

Emma was so glad that he was embracing the 'brother' side of their relationship and not the 'ex-boyfriend'. God, that was never going to be normal to think about. They weren't blood related but still…she unknowingly slept with him and that was just…ugh. If they'd known….that certainly wouldn't have happened.

But she got David out of it and she didn't regret him. She'd never regret him.

Jefferson put some plates in a stack and stood up, "Everything ready?"

"I need to get my shoes," Grace told him.

"Go, hurry up," Jefferson stood up.

"You staying in town today?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, the council is still trying to figure out crime and punishment."

"Good luck on that," Emma kissed him.

"I'd say behead them all but….," Jefferson gave a teasing shrug, "No one's really innocent here in this family either, our kids would be orphans."

"We'd probably be beheaded too," Grace said and ran up the stairs, "You don't know about our life of crime."

Jefferson looked like he'd wondered when his little baby girl got her dark humor from.

The kids got their things together and left with the appropriate goodbye hugs to Bae and Rumpel depending on their relationship to them and left.

The table was plunged into a quiet moment for a few moments. Rumpelstiltskin lifted up Alice and gave her a warm smile and kiss to her cheek, "There's my little one. You look so much like your mother."

Alice smiled at her grandfather, which made him beam back. She had him wrapped around her finger already.

Baelfire looked at Emma, "We should probably get started on that field, huh?"

"Wait," Emma leaned back, "Just a few more moments of air conditioning."

** a/n: Just needed a short light chapter this time around.**


	6. Chapter 6

Charming had given Emma his father's farmland as a gift when they arrived. Her father had used his magic to plant their house here, out of the way and isolated from Storybrooke so that Emma and her family could be alone. It was a priceless gift for Emma and not because it gave her the isolation she wished for….it was because both her fathers worked together despite their disagreements and jealousies toward the other. It gave Emma hope that one day they could be friends for more than just her sake.

It also meant…clearing out the farmlands after 28 years of disuse. Emma wasn't sure where all the heavy rocks came from. But Charming swore they weren't there before.

It was hard work; Emma both hated and loved it. It was hot and exhausting and Emma woke up sore every day but it was simple work…work that wasn't complicated and no one risked getting hurt or killed from.

She just wished that Jefferson was here to help. He had his duties though on the council. He'd taken the seat when Emma fell down the portal with Charming after the curse broke. He told them he would speak for Emma…but Emma didn't want to seat and Jefferson was good at it so he resumed when Emma returned.

He did confess that sometimes he wished he was with her in the fields more rather than in a council who was making laws that Jefferson had willingly and carelessly broke in his past.

The past was the past; Emma didn't care about who he used to be. He was a man that made mistakes and regretted them. He tried to be better. Emma saw that in him and her father.

And Baelfire. He helped her in the fields, without him Emma wouldn't get anything done or she'd have to hire out.

"So," Baelfire started as they both dragged a boulder to the wagon that would later be taken to the ravine where the other boulders were taken, "What was it like….living in a cursed town where no one aged."

Emma looked at him, "We've been here for six months and you're just now bringing this up?"

"Didn't seem like the right time before. It was actually pretty awkward to think about bringing up. I mean if you don't want to-."

"Nah," Emma reached the wagon and took a second to rest, "Everyone thinks it's awkward to ask about. It's not. It was just….lonely. Hard making friends when you're the only one aging. Okay, on three? One, two, three."

They both strained under the weight but with the combined strength of both, the rock was lifted in the back of the carriage. That was all the weight the horses could probably take, it was time for a break.

"Dating must have been a pain," he noted and they went over to the gazebo where their father and Alice were. Alice was awake more now that she was six months. While her parents worked, her grandfather jumped at the chance to entertain her. He came out to the fields with them every day.

Emma smiled wryly, "Didn't really date much. Oh, but Tommy…he was my first kiss."

"Who's Tommy?"

Their father frowned at the mention of his name, "He was the boy who cried wolf."

"Not at the time," Emma came over and kissed her father on the cheek.

"He was a party boy as a curse," Rumpelstiltskin said with a bit of a snarl.

"He wasn't that bad, papa," Emma took a drink of her canteen and went for her daughter, "She okay."

"A bit fussy, it is warm."

"It's far cooler under here than it is out there," Emma promised him and hugged her daughter tightly.

"And he was so that bad. He encouraged you to sneak to that party that I didn't approve of and if I remember, you had worn very inappropriate clothing."

"He didn't encourage me, he invited me."

"That's encouragement!" Rumpelstiltskin said with more of a snarl, "And he kissed you!"

"I kissed him," Emma looked at Baelfire, "And papa had his bodyguard follow me there and turn his brights on when it happened."

Baelfire gasped, "No!"

"She was fifteen!" Rumpelstiltskin told him.

"Fifteen year old girls are usually married and in the process of starting a family in this world," Baelfire told him.

"Well, we weren't IN this world, we were in another."

"We were in a bubble in the other world. We technically weren't part of that world either," Emma told him.

"It was young love," Rumpelstiltskin protested, "He was a young boy and you didn't know him truly! He was cursed. I don't appreciate you two ganging up on me."

"So…Jefferson was your only dating option because he remembered?" Baelfire asked.

Emma and her father exchanged a glance. Emma felt the old familiar sadness and grief start to build in her chest, "He wasn't the only one."

Baelfire seemed to realize what that meant, "If you don't want to talk about it-."

"No, no, it's okay," Emma nodded, "It was….shortly after I got back. His name was Graham; he was the sheriff before I was. He took me on as an office assistant and then a deputy and…I realized that feelings were there. Well, I couldn't pursue those feelings if he was cursed. So….we made a plan…."

Emma looked over at her father and then looked down at their hands. When did he take her hand?

"Regina had taken his heart back in the old land and enslaved him," Emma felt her voice break, "We returned what we thought was supposed to be his heart but it wasn't…Regina had tracked it down and switched them out and we didn't know- he….spent a very long time in pain before he died. Regina found him and murdered him before we were supposed to get married and she murdered him."

Baelfire was quiet for a few beats, "I'm sorry."

The old feelings flooded Emma; The grief and the guilt that she'd been the cause of his death. She spent years believing that them restoring his heart with barely any magic was what killed him. She thought it was her fault that day they found him crashed by the tree but it'd been Regina's. When Regina admitted to it, Emma had been furious. Her only consolation was that finally that guilt that she'd killed Graham would go away.

It never did.

Emma gave a sad smile. She didn't want to talk about this, she wanted to move on, "Anyway, I didn't realize that my husband truly loved me until my father threatened him."

"You seem to threaten all her beaus," Baelfire noted, "What did you want to do to me when you thought I was Neal?"

Rumpelstiltskin looked uncomfortable, "You don't want to know."

"Yeah, I probably don't," he agreed, "Was it weird? Marrying the man who watched you grow up?"

"A little," Emma shrugged, "I mean when I was younger, I'd had a crush on him."

"She flirted with him as a baby and told everyone at the Thanksgiving table including him about her intentions for marriage when she was eight," Rumpelstiltskin told him.

"–so I had my reservations about dating him when we started talking about romantic feelings. However he does have those big sad eyes that I fall for and I fell for them hard. And I don't regret marrying him."

Baelfire gave a small smile, "He's a good man."

"He is," Rumpelstiltskin agreed, "Emma luckily has good taste in who she associates herself with."

Emma blushed a bit, "We should probably get those rocks moved before lunch."

"We could have lunch and move them afterwards, let the horses have a few more moments of freedom."

"We get it done now, we don't have to do it later," Emma pointed out. She supposed she could use magic but she didn't want to. All magic came with a price. And while it was a part of her, she used her magic for one purpose, to keep the monsters away. That was enough. She didn't want to rely too much on it when she chose to farm the land because it was simpler.

"Okay," Baelfire pouted a bit, "Let me get the horses set up."

Emma reluctantly looked at her baby and realized she was going to have to give her back to her grandfather. She gave the baby a kiss and one more snuggle before she handed her over, "I'll help you."

The faster they got this done, the faster they could eat.

Baelfire waited until they were a few feet away and out of earshot, "It's weird….seeing him being a normal dad again."

"I'll bet," Emma said, "But he was normal with you…for a while at least."

"For a while," he agreed, "But sometimes it's the bad things you remember more. The betrayals that sting-."

He trailed off. Emma knew he was thinking about what he did to her, "It's forgiven Baelfire."

"I'm just glad that he at least tried to keep your childhood intact as long as he could," Baelfire told her genuinely, "And I'm glad that he was a father for you and not…what he could've been. I'm happy he didn't just use and discard you when I was found, Emma. Truly."

"But seeing him with me….," she started.

"It does hurt," he allowed, "That you got the normal father that I wanted….for the most part. But that's not your fault, and it's not something I'm jealous of….it just hurts. I love my father and I love you….not the way I used to love you but differently now. I just….look at the two of you sometimes and I think about what could have been."

"Do you feel like an outsider?" Emma asked concerned. Because growing up, with Baelfire on that pedestal, she had sometimes. She had had to live with the knowledge that he only adopted her because she would get him to his other son.

"Sometimes."

"I did too growing up and I found out about you," Emma admitted.

"There was nothing to be envious of with how that turned out. I have to wake up every day knowing that my father hurt people because he wanted to get back to me," his voice broke a little bit.

Emma squeezed his hand, "That wasn't your fault."

"Wasn't it?"

"It wasn't," Emma told him.

Baelfire was quiet as they retrieved the horses, "Sometimes I feel guilty that you were separated from your birth family for 28 years."

"That's not your fault," Emma repeated, "Our father….he's done some horrible things. And as far as I'm concerned, he's redeemed himself from a lot of what he's done when he raised me to be good, brought us home, and gave up his magic. But that doesn't mean we ignore the bad things that happened or blame others if we forgive him. He's responsible for a lot of things…those are his fault. They aren't yours."

Baelfire looked back at him, "He still feels like he's being punished for them."

"Belle?"

Baelfire nodded, "He's going to mourn her for the rest of his life, isn't he?"

"Probably, he mourned her for 28 years. He got her back and then lost her again…." Emma's voice broke a bit. She closed her eyes and looked down, "I should've saved her. I should've thought faster to get her to safety. I should've known magic and teleported her away."

"I don't believe that's your fault any more than you believe my father's actions were mine," he told her.

It was different for her. She was supposed to be the savior. But she couldn't save Graham, Belle, or Princess Abigail. She was supposed to save everyone and she didn't.

"Did you know about her?" Baelfire asked.

Emma shook her head, "I knew there was a woman that he loved and lost but I didn't know about Belle until I came back home."

"Will you tell me about her?"

"There's not much I know," Emma told him honestly, "You should ask dad."

"I can't," Baelfire told her, "He still has nightmares."

"It might help him if he knows that you're curious. He might…feel better if he gets to talk about it. If he gets to share with you those good memories."

"I don't want to hurt him more than he's been hurt about her though."

"He needs to talk about it," Emma told him, "He won't talk to a therapist. He'll talk to me but…most of the stuff he could tell me, I know already. I think…maybe that'll be best."

He nodded and they led the horses down ten minutes away to the ravine that had six months' worth of rocks that they'd been clearing out.

Thirty minutes later, a rider rode up to them. Emma knew who it was before she even climbed off the horse. Her cloak gave it away.

"Red," Emma greeted, "How is the sheriffing going?"

She looked over at Baelfire, who was staring at Red with wide eyes. Emma knew that look. Oh no….

Red didn't seem to notice, "Emma, you have to come right away."

"What's wrong?" Emma asked and felt the panic. Not another loss, not again…, "Jefferson-."

"He's fine, your parents are fine," Red promised her, "But there's been a murder. Midas is dead."


	7. Chapter 7

It was something Emma hadn't gotten used to; Horses in Storybrooke. Her father had enchanted everything….but he'd forgotten gas and propane. Most houses didn't need it anymore, they were enchanted. Free water and electricity for eternity…as long as someone lived in Storybrooke.

But no cars…he claimed he forgot about them. It wasn't like they did a load of good anyway….they only went to Storybrooke and laying out roads would take years and years to cover the world…

And Emma wasn't sure anyone really wanted that. This was their home; they wanted to preserve its beauty. Some advancements were good…heating, indoor plumbing, air conditioning….some were not. Laying out roads…knocking down the forest…it would be too much.

Emma still hadn't gotten used to horses in the street though. It was like….a cross between a modern town and a western…where someone could ride up and corral their horse outside next to a trough.

Jefferson was waiting for her. From his look, he wasn't happy that she was here…Emma didn't blame him.

"Frederic found him," Jefferson helped her down; "He's at the hospital in shock."

Emma ran her hand through her hair, Midas had been one of her supporters….he deserved better than this.

She couldn't cry though, she needed to be strong; she needed to be there for Red.

"David's spending the night with his grandmother and grandfather….he has some tutoring that he needs. I took Grace out of school early, I'm taking her home."

"Okay, I'll be home when….I get home."

He nodded, "What does this mean?"

"It means….that there's been a murder," Emma told him.

He didn't take his eyes off her, "What does it mean for you?"

Emma tensed. She'd made it clear that she wanted peace and to be left alone…but her friend was killed. She'd already failed him once, how could she do that again?

"I don't know."

She was surprised Jefferson was as calm as he was. He wanted her to be happy and he most certainly didn't want her to be pulled into the life she loathed out of obligation, "Okay."

"We'll discuss it at home?" she asked.

He nodded and gave her a kiss, "I love you."

"I love you more."

"That'd be impossible."

Emma smiled, "They say I'm all sorts of good at defying what's possible."

He smiled back, "And what's why I love you."

He'd just said that but it was good to hear. It was always good to hear it.

They stared at each other for a moment, it seemed like both realized what this could mean…one wrong decision, one wrong thing and they could be thrown back into all of it.

She wouldn't do it without Jefferson's agreement though.

"Be careful," he said, a lot more quietly.

Emma nodded, "I will."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Jefferson was quiet as he walked with Grace back towards home. He didn't want Emma back in this world….solving people's problems; being the savior…it was too much. It'd broken her last time, she deserved peace after what she went through, didn't she?

Didn't they all?

No, Emma served her time. She did what her father set her out to do…..they were done. They were supposed to be done. She saved them…

"Are we going straight home?" Grace asked.

"No, we're stopping by Rumpelstiltskin's to get Alice."

"Are we staying?"

He really wanted to talk to his father in law. Through whatever differences they had….he was still the only father that Jefferson could go to with his feelings. Not Charming, Charming wasn't any sort of papa figure to him…especially since Jefferson was older. While he was sure Charming would understand, Rumpelstiltskin would have deeper feelings about what Emma was getting herself into, "Possibly, there's stuff we should discuss."

Grace stood on a tree and balanced herself as she walked along it, "Good, he's teaching me how to spin."

"I wasn't aware you two were close," Jefferson noted.

Grace was quiet at first and she looked up at him with guilt in her eyes….like she'd done something wrong, "He tells me about mom."

Jefferson felt a twinge of hurt and then jealousy, "I tell you about your mother."

"You do," Grace agreed, "And most things I do know from you but not…everything. Not her bad things she did…not her flaws…I don't just want to know about mom, I want to know mom."

That made sense…and Jefferson had to agree that he was guilty of shielding her from some truths, "I just want….you to remember your mother in a good light."

"I still do!"

Oh thank God, that was a relief, "I still love her and miss her you know…how I love Emma doesn't take that away."

"I know," Grace told him, "Well now I do…before was harder."

He smiled and took her hand so she could jump down, "There are quite a few different loves."

"I know."

"How you like Tom the Butcher's boy for starters."

Grace blushed, "I don't like him!"

Jefferson smirked. He was terrified of the day where his baby fell in love…but she was only 12, what did she know about love? He was going to tease her for now, "Oh, I'm sure you don't."

Grace was now the brightest red he'd ever seen in a person, "He's just a friend."

"So were Emma and I."

"That's different."

He wasn't sure how but he played along, "Well, it works….at least when you two get married, I'll be able to get free meat."

Grace shoved at him. She got more flustered at his laughing, "Papa!"

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When Red had been voted in as Sheriff, Emma had been thrilled. She was fully confident that her godmother would be able to handle most things that came her way. Emma had dealt with some rough things when she was sheriff, hopefully Red's run would be a cakewalk compared to what she had gone through.

But she had been wrong. And now she and Red stood there in the office staring at something that broke Emma's heart. Midas was slumped over on his desk, a pool of blood pooled around his throat.

"Oh God…," Emma whispered, "First Abigail and now him."

Red was quiet for a moment, "He was a good man."

He forgave Emma for not finding his daughter in time, something she never forgave herself for. Of course he was a good man. Better than she would be if something happened to one of her children and no one saved them in time.

"He was," Emma said as she pulled her hair up and pulled on a bodysuit to keep fibers from her clothes from falling off. She doubted they had the equipment to accidently find things like that but old habits died hard.

Red copied her, "I've….never really done this before."

"I know."

"I only know how it goes on procedural TV."

Emma gave a small smile, "I didn't expect you'd have to deal with a murder this early. Especially not one….like this."

Red sighed, "Well….here we are."

"Here we are," Emma gave her the camera.

"I'm frankly surprised it took this long," Red muttered, "With the tensions going on."

"What tensions?" Emma asked.

"Just…tensions, everyone has a different idea of what should be done. Some don't like it here. They don't like being confined to this little town in the middle of a world that used to be home."

"Well, it's safer here, everyone knows that. I keep the Ogres and everything else driven back."

"Some are willing to risk it; they just want to go home. Embrace their culture and tradition around reminders again."

"Do you want that?"

Red took a moment, "I didn't really have much of a home before…."

"You lived in the castle."

"Because I was your mother's friend…and her protector…doesn't need me much for that anymore, she's happier in Storybrooke than the castle."

"Well, there wasn't much left of it," Emma told her.

"That is also a problem," Red admitted with a bit of a smile, "Anyway, I'm happier here…with what I'm doing now. It feels like I'm contributing."

Good, she wasn't leaving…

"Well, he's sitting at his desk…so he knew his attacker," Emma went to turn his head slightly. What she saw nearly made her lose her lunch… it wasn't just that he had his throat slit…there was a gaping hole where his throat should be.

"His throat's been ripped out," Emma muttered.

Red's eyes grew, "What? Emma-"

Emma looked over at her. She knew Red's secret…well it wasn't much of a secret now was it? Everyone knew about her wolf side…

"They won't blame you."

"His throat's ripped out and he knew his attacker….there aren't any other wolves in Storybrooke like me….they're going to say I did it."

"There's just a problem," Emma told her, "Last night wasn't wolf's time. They can't possibly pin this to you."

"Do you think those that think of me as a monster would care?" Red asked, "A werewolf that's supposed to defend the people not only failed, but she killed a man."

"That's not going to happen," Emma promised her.

"It's exactly what's going to happen," Red breathed, "Even if I didn't do it…because you know what they're going to say? Who else could've done this?"

"Red," Emma started.

"Emma, you were raised by the most powerful man in the realms who knows everything about everyone….," Red said almost pleading, "Who else could have done this?"

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The best part about having a grandson that you needed to tutor was that you could go to the diner and teach him….Where there were comfortable booths….and a lot better refreshments than the school could provide

"You're better at this stuff then mom is," David told her as she explained Algebra to him. He was a smart kid….advanced for his age when it came to a lot of studies.

"Yes well…your mother was never particularly good in math."

"Yeah?" David looked up eagerly, "What else was she bad in?"

"She was a bit of a slacker actually; when she was in my class she hardly ever put her best efforts forward. I can't tell you how many times she got grounded because of that."

David's eyes brightened, "What else did she do/"

"Maybe you should just focus on your work," Snow looked down at her book with a smile. There were times for embarrassing stories later. Particularly when Emma was in the room. Things were getting better between the two of them. Emma called her 'mom' without hesitation but there was always a different look about her. Snow wasn't Mary Margaret, Emma knew that…and that was who Emma had seen as a mother figure growing up….they were still adjusting. One moment she'd seen her daughter, she was a newborn and the next, she was a 28 year old woman with children of her own…

She loved her daughter….but it wasn't the love that she'd wanted. IT was a unique love just for them but…now she didn't have to fear. Now she didn't have to worry, she could raise her baby in the safety of the town…Regina was defeated. She wasn't coming back.

What had happened to Regina, Snow didn't know. Emma and Rumpelstiltskin weren't talking. She wasn't sure she WANTED to know.

That old guilt started to weigh on her…..if she hadn't spared Regina….if she-

No, then Rumpelstiltskin would've found another monster and someone else would be the savior. Someone else would've suffered.

But her baby suffered…people they knew were dead. That wasn't just Regina's fault, that was hers.

She'd never forgive herself.

She tried to focus on the book in front of her….to push back her thoughts on how she personally had failed Emma.

The book wasn't much help.

"My God…," she whispered and looked at her grandson, "Did you know there's something called cradle cap? Babies get it on their heads; it's a crusty yellow greasy scaly skin rash!"

David looked up, with a bit of exasperation on his face, "Grandma, I'm trying to find the unknown factor."

"Seriously!" Snow said and looked back down, "This book uses all of those words."

"Papa read that book too you know, when mom was pregnant," David looked back down at his work, "He got so worked up that mom took it away from him. That's why it got tossed in the used bookstore."

Snow blinked, "Well….are there other books at the library then?"

"Maybe reading more about what COULD be wrong with the baby might not be best?" David suggested, "You know, mom had me and Alice…she would know about babies if you have questions."

It was embarrassing for Snow to have to ask her own daughter for advice about children, "But no two babies are the same, something could be wrong, I need to know what I might expect."

David sighed, "I do need a book for my book report."

"Good, the library has plenty of choices."

"I'm going to go get my hot chocolate to go," he grabbed his drink and left the table.

Snow stared back down at the book. Her head in her hands. She needed to know everything; she needed to be prepared for everything that might happen, "Cradle cap…."

"It goes away," Snow turned to see a redheaded woman with a rather unfortunate green broach strapped to her scarf watching her, "It doesn't hurt the baby."

Snow felt a bit hopeful, "It doesn't?"

"Babies are stronger than you think," the woman gave her a reassuring smile.

Snow didn't need to be told that. Her daughter crossed worlds when she was just a few minutes old.

The woman studied her, "You're Snow White, aren't you?"

Snow nodded, "Or Mary Margaret, whichever is easiest to remember or rolls off the tongue.

The woman gave a nod, "Yes…well…we're all going through our adjustments."

Snow tilted her head, her curiosity was piqued, "Who are you….or who were you 28 years ago that you have to embrace now?"

"Oh, no one you'd know," the woman promised, "Not everyone is famous like you."

Snow laughed in embarrassment, "I don't know if I'd say famous."

Just because another world knew a much…edited story of her, that hardly meant she was famous.

"You were a princess," the woman argued, "And some of us were just…supporting players. It's okay; I loved what I did…."

She reached down to grab her purse, "I was a midwife."

That got Snow's attention. There was the hospital…she knew that but there was something about a home birth that just appealed to her more. Especially because they'd almost given Emma a C-section when she had to give birth to Alice. If it wasn't for magic….who knows what could've happened. Regina had all the power those days…anyone could've gotten hurt.

That was also the time she had been tricked over the town line and she had been rendered catatonic. To remember everything like she did without the ability to move…that'd been horrific.

She really didn't want to go back to the hospital unless it was for baby checkups

"Really?" Snow asked hopefully.

"Mmhmm," the woman nodded.

"My name's Zelena," the woman introduced herself. That was an odd name but a lady named Snow White really shouldn't throw stones at other people's names, "Look, I've seen a lot of mothers and….don't worry…you'll learn quickly."


	8. Chapter 8

Rumpelstiltskin did not open his home to visitors. He opened his home to family. His daughter, his son, the in-laws…grandkids…occasionally Snow White and Charming but not often as they would probably like.

So when Emma brought Red to the house, Rumpelstiltskin was not happy. This was his home and his sanctuary; it wasn't like the Dark Castle, where everyone came to him for their problems. He didn't have magic, he didn't have foresight and he didn't have a goal. He just wanted to be left out of it now.

"And so what, she's supposed to stay here?"

"Until this whole mess is sorted out," Emma muttered.

"So then you are doing it," Rumpelstiltskin said, he struggled not to let his voice rise in anger, "You are getting involved."

Emma gave him a hurt look, "Of course I'm getting involved, I'm the savior."

"Not anymore, that stopped when you brought us home!"

"It'll never stop, I have responsibilities," Emma told him and she looked like she hated herself for saying that, "Midas was my friend, papa. Red is the one that's supposed to keep the peace. If she's being framed….I can't ignore that. She's my godmother."

He wanted to snap that he never appointed anyone to be her godmother but then he remembered that she had other parents as well.

Emma looked over to the dining area, where Red sat with her head in her hands, "Who else could rip a man's throat out, papa?"

"You sure she didn't? Sometimes lycanthropy is hard to control"

"It's not wolf's time, and if she was a werewolf, she'd have had to break through the door or the window or something and nothing was disturbed. You know everyone better than they know themselves, who could've done this?"

"No one, Emma. No one else is a werewolf or can…turn into an animal as far as I've seen."

"Then who did it?" Emma whispered, "Did someone…rip out his neck with their teeth?"

"Oh gods, that's a disturbing though."

"Well, what else am I dealing with, papa?"

"There could be those that were left behind because of the curse."

"But there was no one left, just us."

"How are you so certain of that?"

Emma cringed, "Hook told me."

"Hook wanted to keep you on the ship and win you as a way to hurt me, of course he'd lie and say there was no one left. There would be nowhere for you to run to."

"He also had Cora with him, I have no doubts that they'd wipe out anyone that I could seek help from or could stop them."

"Yes, that's true," he muttered, "But it's the only other answer."

"What about portals?" Emma asked.

Rumpelstiltskin hesitated, "It's possible."

"But you'd think we'd have heard about anyone suspicious," Emma muttered, "Or…anyone hearing about anyone suspicious."

"We don't go into town much, sweetie."

"Jefferson is in town all the time…but everything's been quiet."

"Then we'll just have to keep an eye out," Rumpelstiltskin told her and kissed her forehead, "Jefferson's coming."

Emma looked over her shoulder to see Jefferson coming down the stairs. Her father moved away to give them a moment alone. Jefferson didn't say anything as he walked over and embraced her. Emma held him tightly, "I'm sorry."

"So you're doing it then? Getting involved?"

And therefore breaking her promise to him that they'd settle down and be a normal family, "Are you mad?"

"Furious," he told her without any anger in his voice. He rested his forehead against hers, "But I know why you're doing it. I don't want you hurt."

"I know," she whispered.

"Whatever it was ripped a man's throat out, Emma. You could be hurt."

Emma wrapped her arms around him, "Do you support me?"

"Of course," he replied, "Because I love you and that won't ever stop."

Emma held him tightly, "Thank you."

"But I'm still mad…even though I get it."

Emma gave a small smile, "I'm certain you would be."

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Rumpelstiltskin did not want Red in his house. She would disrupt his schedule and he didn't want to talk to her. She was one of the ones that supported his going to the cage when they were here almost 30 years ago.

He WANTED it…but still….it was the principal of the matter.

Emma said that no one would expect Red to be at his house of all things. HE supposed that made sense. He supported his daughter but didn't care all that much for those he'd given her the task of protecting. They wouldn't look here…and if they did…well…they would be a fool to mess with him.

He didn't have magic but the house was enchanted. No one came in without his allowance.

He watched through the window as Baelfire approached her. He said something with a kind smile and offered her some cracker jacks from the bag he had bought at the store earlier.

Rumpelstiltskin knew that look…

Oh no….

The door opened; Jefferson, Emma and Grace all walked out. Rumpelstiltskin felt his heart leap to his throat when he realized they were leaving him alone with a werewolf that didn't like him and his son with a crush and he stood, "You're leaving?"

"Yeah, we have some things at the house to do," Emma walked over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Tell your parents to take precautions, if someone's going after members of the council," he trailed off, "And in her state, it would be wise."

"They'll be fine, they're going to set up some enchantments I gave them a few months back after the talk with the midwife.'

"Your mother's getting a midwife?"

"Yeah, mom sent me a message saying they were," Emma looked up, "Guess some people like home births. Give me an epidural any day…"

"How's this for an odd name?" Jefferson muttered, "Her name's Zelena. And here I thought Rumpelstiltskin was bad."

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes widened. "No, it couldn't be…"

_And next time…._he remembered the snarl, _you will choose me._

"Papa?" Emma asked.

"You need to take me to your mother," he told her, "_Now._"

**A/N: Okay, just taking the time to say. **

**I AM doing Peter Pan, but it is not till the kids are older. Pan doesn't happen until after the Honor thy Father epilogue in which they're about 17. **

**Will I do time travel with Zelena? I don't know. It'd be interesting to put Emma in that environment...especially to see what her father used to be. It's always been easy for Emma to distance herself from the things her father's done, to see him actually in his FTL element...that would be an interesting opportunity. And if I skip out on writing Rumple raising Emma and she gets to go back in FTL to see him...then who else will write it?" **


	9. Chapter 9

Her parents had bought a house eons ago when they found out that they were going to have a baby on top of having a full grown married daughter and three grandkids. It was on the lake. It was sizable but Emma was sure that the living area in the apartment she grew up knowing was bigger.

She sat in the wicker loveseat with her husband. Snow sat in the most comfortable chair in the living room. Her husband stood over her on one side, Red stood over her on the other like they were guarding her.

Baelfire sat cross-legged on the floor next to Emma. Her father leaned on his cane as he paced the room. Emma had a feeling her father was going to admit to something that Emma really didn't want to hear. He had that look that he had when he had to tell her something that he truly didn't want her to know

"Emma when you were eighteen and just got back home, I told you I would tell you everything," he started without looking at her.

"Yeah, why do I have a feeling that that wasn't true?" Emma said with rising tension.

"Because it's not," he whispered.

Emma knew it had been too good to be true. Emma ran a hand through her hair, "Papa…"

"I wanted to," he told her quickly, "I wanted to tell you everything…but I couldn't tell you this."

"Why?"

"Because if you found out that Regina had an older half-sister, I was worried that Regina would find out that she had a half-sister."

Everyone recoiled at that. Emma's mind was reeling; a half-sister? What? Cora spawned with more than one person?

Her birthfather was babbling something, Emma wasn't paying much attention to him because she was trying to figure out who on earth would have don't it with Cora unless they were obligated to?

Unless…

"Is she yours?" Emma asked.

Baelfire choked on his drink, "What?"

"No," he shook his head, "Gods no, if she was, things would be different."

"You and Regina's mother?" Baelfire asked.

"This is hardly the time!" Rumpelstiltskin said and looked to Emma, "She was Cora's illegitimate daughter. She told me that her mother abandoned her in the woods when she found out that Zelena would not give her what she wanted.

"Power," Emma muttered.

He nodded.

"Yeah that sounds like her," Emma muttered.

"She was….powerful when I met her. A natural. Almost as natural and powerful as you are…but she wasn't…mentally…stable…"

"Compared to Regina?" he scoffed.

"She had an obsession with me," he messed with the ring that Emma had given him as a child, "She was envious of what Regina had. A mother, a royal life, my…curse casting blessing…I couldn't deal with her. She was more powerful but she was unstable."

"And it would mean the heart of the thing she loved most."

He hesitated and nodded, "It would."

Which would be him

Emma ran a hand through her hair, "So what does she want."

"Last I heard from her, she was talking about how I would eventually choose her."

"But you chose Regina. So too late for that," Jefferson muttered

"She might want to find out what happened to her sister," Snow said

"She can ask around for that," Emma muttered, "And if she hated Regina then it makes no sense that she'd get angry at us for leaving her in Storybrooke."

"Maybe she wants revenge?" Red said, "Angry that we got rid of Regina when she felt it was her right to."

"Maybe," Emma muttered and cursed, "Doesn't explain what happened to Midas though. Oh God…..I thought we were done with the Mills family."

"Apparently not," Jefferson rubbed his eyes, "Any other little ones we should know about?"

"Not to my knowledge," he told him.

Emma stood up, "Well, if she's looking to mom, then she probably has a plan that we don't know yet. I'm not sure I want to find out, so let's find her and flush her out before she does any more damage on top of her mother and sister."

"She was certainly interested in the baby," Snow whispered.

Emma bristled at that. She looked up at her birthfather and saw the determination in his eyes as well. They already lost the chance to raise Emma; they weren't going to lose the chance to raise this one as well.

Emma wouldn't allow it. She'd rip Zelena apart before that happened. Not another split from the family, not again.

"She won't get the baby," Emma promised, "I'll protect you."

"How?"

Emma looked to her husband, asking him a silent question. He gave a nod, "You'll move in with me until this stuff with Zelena is done. My house is protected, what I don't know, I can learn."

Charming put his hand on Snow's shoulder. Snow reached up and squeezed it, "Okay."

Emma looked to her father and brother, "You too."

Rumpelstiltskin sat up straighter, "Emma!"

"You don't have magic."

"My house is protected!"

"You know how to help me with my magic, I need you with me. If Zelena's looking for revenge, then she might come after you," she gestured to all of them, "No risks, we all go on lockdown."

"What about Grace's parents?" Jefferson asked.

"Zelena won't care unless it hurts me directly if it's a revenge plot," Rumpelstiltskin said, "I doubt her parents are even a blip."

"Just so, we need to put them on lockdown and set up protection spells," Emma said.

"It's going to be cramped," her father warned.

"Better than losing any of you," Emma said, "You're my family."

"I'll get some things packed," Charming stood and went to the room.

Emma walked over to Rumpelstiltskin, "You never told me about this."

"I didn't," he conceded.

"You told me about Pan…and who he is to you but you never told me about Zelena, why?"

"Because I had no way of knowing that Regina wouldn't eventually find out she had a sister. And whether she loved or hated the idea, that meant bad things for us."

"I wouldn't have told her!" Emma whispered.

"I don't believe you would," he argued, "But things have a way of getting out and there are just some things that Regina didn't need to know. Whether they worked together or ripped each other a part, a lot more people would've gotten hurt. Now I might not have cared about that, but I do care about you….and you would've been their first priority. It was strategic."

"Anything else I don't know?"

"Nothing," he promised.

Emma saw in his eyes that he was telling the truth, "Okay."

"Okay," he waited, like he was dreading for what she'd do.

Emma kissed his cheek, "We're going to beat her."

He held her in a tight embrace that Emma returned, "If anyone can do it, you can, sweetheart."


	10. Chapter 10

Baelfire's relationship to his father was like everyone's relationship to his father was; complicated. His relationship to his father was also a work in progress….like everyone else's relationship to him. Except, it seemed, for Emma. Baelfire always tried to hide that there was a part of him that was jealous for what his father and Emma had together. He chose to let go of him but chose her as a daughter and clung to her with everything. She knew things about his past that he'd been too scared or too upset to ever tell Baelfire. They shared looks and in-jokes that should be his to have with his father. He would never get that.

But whatever jealousy he had, it wasn't enough to impede his relationship with either. He enjoyed his relationship with Emma. HE was working with his relationship with his father. He was sure that he forgave him…but forgetting….that was a lot harder.

Especially when he had Pan reminding him for centuries what his father did.

Wounds still ran deep.

He and his father were sharing a room. Grace, Henry, and Alice all had their rooms, Snow and Charming were sharing a room, Red got her own room….so they had to share.

Luckily there was a couch in the room or else he'd be sharing a bed with his father. He'd done it when he was a child but that was because the house was cold and it snowed outside and they needed the body heat.

Now, it would just be weird.

"You've been quiet all day," Rumpelstiltskin noted.

"It's been crowded in the house, how would you know?"

"Believe me," Rumpelstiltskin said, "I noticed."

Baelfire pulled down the covers for his couch, "You never told me about….anything of your past."

Rumpelstiltskin was quiet, "Like I've told Emma."

"Yes"

"I only told her because she'd just come back after being in jail and I promised her that I would to prove to her that I was willing to change. I never wanted her to know all the things I was capable of."

Baelfire shook his head slightly, "I have to know."

"No you don't."

"Papa, you don't see their stares every day. There are those that blame me for the things you've done. I blame myself a lot of the time."

His horrified look made Baelfire feel even worse, "Bae, it's not…."

"You cast the curse because I fell through….because I didn't….wasn't happy with what we had. You got worse because I wasn't with you. I trusted the fairies when I shouldn't have and it ended very badly for both of us."

"That's not true, Bae."

"I need to know," Baelfire told him, "Papa, please."

"You'll hate me if I do."

"Maybe I'll be angry," Baelfire told him, "But I spent a very long time feeling that way while loving you at the same time, I don't want to feel hate anymore. I need to know…."

Rumpelstiltskin was pale as he sat down, "Before we start, you should know that everything I did…all the bad things I did, I regret them. You and Emma and Belle…I did horrible things to get or keep you three….and those are the only things I don't regret because of the light you three brought. I'd say the grandkids too but I've never done anything bad to get them."

Baelfire clutched his hands together and nodded, "Tell me."

And his father told him. Baelfire listened and he felt his heart clench as his father told him everything….from his childhood to getting Emma and what he'd done to get her…and what he'd done to keep her.

When he was done, Baelfire was shaking. He felt dizzy, he felt sick….and he felt burdened down and relieved. He knew what his father was capable of; it wasn't surprising but to hear it from his own mouth….

"I regret…everything I've done."

"Would you do it again?" Baelfire asked.

"If it means getting you back?" Rumpelstiltskin looked at him, Baelfire saw the self-loathing in his eyes, and he knew that he couldn't say anything to hurt his father. Nothing that Rumpelstiltskin probably didn't tell himself every day, "I'm not proud of it."

"No, you shouldn't be," Baelfire whispered. He wanted to say that he wouldn't do the same thing if it was David, his boy. He couldn't. If he was separated from his son, he'd do anything he could to get back to him. He'd wanted to come when Emma wrote to him and he heard he had a son. However….August interfered and kept a letter from getting through. One he wrote asking her if he could come be in his life.

He should've sent another…he should've tried to find Storybrooke.

But now things were different, now he wasn't sure what he'd do if he was separated.

It wasn't something he was proud of either.

But there was something he needed to focus on, "And Pan….he's my...grandfather."

"I never wanted to tell you," Rumpelstiltskin whispered, "Because I didn't want you to know I was as bad a father as he was. Because we're both the same, me and him. Because we both abandoned our sons."

"No," Baelfire shook his head, "You're not the same. You came back for me, papa. And now…we can work from an honest place. You and I can figure things out."

Rumpelstiltskin looked confused, "You don't hate me?"

"No papa, like I promised I wouldn't."

His father's demeanor crumbled, "Bae, I'm so sorry for everything I've done. Every day for three hundred years, I regretted not going with you"

"I know," he moved to wrap his arms around his father, "Oh papa, if you'd told me about what your father did, I would've found another way to save you."

"Yes well, the fairy didn't exactly tell you that a goodnight kiss might have solved everything, did she?" Rumpelstiltskin said wryly, "That's the thing about fairies, son. They don't do things the simple way."

Baelfire scoffed and burst into laughter, "Alright papa….now it's my turn."

"You don't have to," Rumpelstiltskin said quickly.

"No, it's only fair," Bae said, "I know about you now, now it's your turn to know about me."

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The best thing about living in enchanted houses was the never ending supply of hot water with no need to pay a gas bill or a water bill.

It made things easier now that everyone was living in the house and going through supplies faster.

Emma hugged her husband close against her chest and covered his face in kisses as the hot water from the shower rained down on them, "You okay with this?"

"Your family needs to be safe."

"But you don't like it."

"I liked it when our house was a lot quieter, but your family needs to be safe," he repeated, "I don't mind it."

Emma sighed, "It seems we can't escape the Mills family, huh?"

"It seems we can't escape anything, but if Zelena was eventually going to be coming after us, then I suppose interference was unavoidable."

"I know you don't want to get involved in my family's drama."

He searched her eyes and rested his hand on the side of her face, "They're my family too, Emma. Their burden is mine too. I may not like it but…I'm with you, Emma. Always."

Emma searched his eyes and kissed him, "I love you, you know that? You put up with so much…."

"You're worth it, I love you too."

Emma's eyes filled with tears and she wrapped her arms around him, "I don't know how to do this."

"You did it last time."

"And the loss was heavy. I'm scared that with someone more powerful….I can't lose anyone else, Jefferson, I can't."

"You won't. Hey," he took her face in his hands, "I have faith in you."

"You always did."

"You haven't let me down yet."

"Yes, I do. All the time."

"Hey," he took her head in his hands, "Not me. Never me."

It was what she wanted to hear, what she needed to hear. Jefferson was always good at that. Restoring faith in her when she doubted herself. She pressed her lips against his, and wrapped her arms around him. He lifted her up slightly and pressed her against the wall.

"Oh," Emma giggled and wrapped one leg around his waist, "In here, huh?"

"It's weird otherwise when we share a wall with your parents;" he whispered and caught her mouth with hers again."

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The bed wasn't uncomfortable. Quite the opposite actually, but it was just so weird. This wasn't their room. Even when he closed his eyes and slept…when he gained consciousness he knew it wasn't his room….even before he opened his eyes, he knew that something was wrong.

It wasn't bad, it was just different. Charming didn't hate it….but he'd rather be in his own home instead of being cooped up and waiting to come up with a strategy to save them all.

If Snow wasn't pregnant, he'd lead the charge against Zelena but now he was more cautious. Any stress could cause her to lose their children.

Children…they didn't tell Emma yet that it was twins. They wanted it to be a surprise. After the initial fear, she'd warmed up considerably to being a big sister. Sometimes she'd make her way into town just to make sure her mother was okay and to make sure she had everything she needed…or to give her things that Alice had outgrown or didn't need.

When he woke up that morning, he heard Snow already in the bathroom. He threw back his covers and went to his wife's side.

"Morning sickness," she said shakingly, "One thing I didn't miss."

He held her growing hair back as she heaved and kissed her temple, "And in a few months, you'll forget the pain and the sickness because our children will be safe.'

Snow clutched the toilet; her knuckles were white, "If they're safe."

Charming felt his heart clench and he wrapped his arms around her, "Hey, we're not going to lose these babies."

"That's what you promised me when we were pregnant with Emma and we lost her for 28 years…," Snow whispered, "And now I'm having a baby and her sister is coming and we don't really know why…I just…I can't lose these two, Charming. I can't."

"We won't."

"We did last time."

"Because Rumpelstiltskin was working against us…but he's working with us now…and we have Emma. And she'll protect us if we can't protect ourselves."

"And who will protect her?" Snow asked quietly, "Emma's magic is the only thing keeping us from losing our children. She feels obligated to help. If she gets hurt….or her family does…."

"It won't happen, "We'll protect each other, remember? IT's what we always do."

Snow gave a small nod and leaned against him, He returned the embrace and held her tightly, "I promise you…nothing is ripping apart our family again."

He held his wife for a few moments and went to stand up, "Come on, I'll make you breakfast.

Snow smiled and let him help her up. She went to flush and both jumped when they heard Jefferson and Emma scream in the next room. Victims of the water either getting colder or hotter thanks to the plumbing.

"Guess the pipes aren't as enchanted as we thought," Charming muttered.


End file.
